Police have arrested a Homer man on six counts of sexual abuse of a minor in the first degree.
They arrested Stephen Boyle Thursday. Boyle is the deputy fire chief for Kachemak Emergency Services.
A press release sent out Friday says the Homer Police worked with a Florida County Sheriff’s office on the case, after a woman reported she was allegedly sexually assaulted by Boyle when she was a child living in Homer.
The 28-year-old woman, who now lives in Florida, said the abuse took place over a period of six years when she was 9 to 15 years old.
The release says during a recorded phone conversation with the victim, Boyle admitted to inappropriate sexual conduct.
The Homer News reports that Boyle, a Kenai Peninsula Borough employee, has been placed on administrative leave.
If convicted, Boyle faces up to a $500,000 fine and up to 99 years in prison on each count.
According to the Kachemak Emergency Services website, Boyle has worked in fire and emergency services since 1991, when he was a volunteer firefighter with the Homer Volunteer Fire Department. Boyle was arraigned in Homer Court Friday and is being held at the Homer Jail.